Perhaps the most perplexing part of Drudge's alarming splash was that he wrapped the entire string of repeated words in quotation marks — that repetition never actually appears in the Django review. In fact, the "n-word" is only mentioned once and only in that context, whereas Drudge actually spells out most of the world, only substituting a star for one letter. McCarthy writes:

Quite naturally, given the historical setting, the N-word gets a heavy workout, by whites and blacks alike. But much more forceful is the cruelty dispensed by the Southern whites, both as punishment and whim; attack dogs are unleashed on one man, Mandingo fighters (in a homage to the unforgettable 1975 Mandingo) battle to the death in a beautifully appointed drawing room for the wealthy’s amusement, a woman is locked naked in a metal “hot box,” genital mutilation is arranged for a man and much more.

Politico's Dylan Byers pointed out the discrepancies between Drudge's headline and the story it takes readers to:

Drudge has the N-word pasted across the top of the page. It links to a film review in the Hollywood Reporter mentioning "N-word" in 9th graf

As was to be expected, Drudge got an instant reaction. Yes, there is a discussion to be had about Tarantino's use of the word (and it's been and will probably continue to be had), but the Drudge Report's headline does little beyond provoke:

Civil Rights Activist Matt Drudge splashes "nigger" all over his front page, ostensibly as a critique of Tarantino twitpic.com/blbuph